The other is 1-5 and has dropped three decisions in a row.
So what the heck is so special about this Friday night's game (7:30 at Radnor High School) between 3-3 Kennedy-Kenrick and 1-5 Archbishop Carroll?
For an explanation, it's only necessary to check out the Philadelphia Catholic League's Class AA standings.
West Catholic is the runaway division champ and has beaten both Kennedy-Kenrick and Carroll by a combined 101 points.
With four of the division's five clubs making the PCL playoffs, the obvious strategy is to avoid fourth place and a first-round playoff meeting with West.
A win by the Wolverines or the Patriots goes a long way toward securing either second or third in the division.
Add in the nature of the K-K-Carroll rivalry, which makes the Hatfields and McCoys look like bosom buddies, and what you have is a meaningful war.
"It's huge," said Wolverines head coach Mike Santillo. "This is our biggest football game of the season. We win, and we finish second. We lose, and we finish fourth and have to play West Catholic.
"And Carroll has a very good football team."
"We're not playing well, we're 1-5 and we need to win a game," said Carroll head coach Dan Bielli. "And this is generally a very good, hard-fought game."
Adding some intrigue to the matchup is the health of both clubs.
It's not good.
In its 50-0 loss last week to West Catholic, Kennedy-Kenrick had to junk its spread offense due to injuries to quarterback Ryan Sejda and running back Aaron Regan. Regan will return this week.
At press time the status of Sejda, two-way lineman A.J. Coccia and wideout Noah Mascio is uncertain.
With them, K-K runs its spread, which will get a boost from Radnor's new turfed field, and spreads the ball around.
Without, Santillo said the Wolverines will attempt to play ball control, which didn't exactly light up the scoreboard against West.
"It's tough on us," Bielli said, "because we're preparing for a whole lot of different things.
"We have to feel that (Sejda) will play, and he's a major concern. I believe he's the heart and soul of that team."
With or without the spread, K-K faces a very good Carroll defense.
"Up front, especially, their defense is very tough," Santillo said. "They have a couple of big kids up front (All-Catholic seniors Chris Kennedy and Jack Lowney), and that's our biggest concern."
Offensively, the Patriots run on the arm, legs and head of quarterback Luke Wischnowski. The senior made his varsity debut as a freshman against K-K, and has nearly 200 yards of total offense against the Wolverines in two contests.
"He's a tough kid," Santillo said of Wischnowski. "He throws the ball well and he runs very well.
"He's killed us over the years."
"He's the strength of our team," Bielli said of his quarterback. "He knows what he's doing and he makes our Wing-T offense go."
Carroll backs Bryant Moritz (84 carries, 273 yds.) and Ryan Shea (38 carries, 191 yds.) and wideout Pat Seeds (13 catches, 202 yds.) will get their touches. But Wischnowski is the kingpin.
Like Kennedy-Kenrick, Carroll has been decimated by injury this year, and Bielli said at least three starters will not play against K-K.
The Patriots went toe-to-toe with a solid North Catholic team a week ago before losing in the final three minutes.
"We played our best game of the year," Bielli said. "It was a loss but it gave us something to build on.
"I hate moral victories, but what else can we go on?
It's that promise that has Santillo worried.
"Carroll is definitely better than their record shows," Santillo said. "They've been unlucky. But they scare the bejeezus out of you."
By game's end, Kennedy-Kenrick will know its playoff fate and the Patriots will know theirs.
It's how they find out that makes this game so special.
"Kennedy-Kenrick is a real solid team with some tough guys," Bielli said. "It should be a heckuva game."
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